Viola A Heinzelmann-Schwarz

Publications (2)10.05 Total impact

• Article: Low meprin alpha expression differentiates primary ovarian mucinous carcinoma from gastrointestinal cancers that commonly metastasise to the ovaries.

  Viola A Heinzelmann-Schwarz, Richard A Scolyer, James P Scurry, Alison N Smith, Margaret Gardiner-Garden, Andrew V Biankin, Sally Baron-Hay, Carolyn Scott, Robyn L Ward, Daniel Fink, Neville F Hacker, Robert L Sutherland, Philippa M O'Brien
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  ABSTRACT: Currently, no specific immunohistochemical markers are available to differentiate primary mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (MOC) from adenocarcinomas originating at other sites that have metastasised to the ovary, which may have an impact on patient management and prognosis. To investigate the expression of two intestinal markers, galectin 4 and meprin alpha, in mucinous carcinomas of the ovary and gastrointestinal tract. Using immunohistochemical analysis, the expression of galectin 4 and meprin alpha was investigated in 10 MOCs and in 38 mucinous adenocarcinomas of colon, pancreas, stomach and appendix, the most common sites of origin of ovarian metastases. Total cytoplasmic galectin 4 expression was relatively consistent between the different carcinomas. Membranous meprin alpha expression was significantly lower in MOCs compared with gastrointestinal carcinomas. Moreover, meprin alpha expression showed greater discrimination between the ovarian and gastrointestinal carcinomas than the cytokeratins CK7 and CK20, the current standard immunohistochemical markers used to determine the tissue origin of mucinous carcinomas involving the ovaries. Meprin alpha is a useful additional marker in differentiating primary from secondary mucinous adenocarcinomas of the ovary.
  Journal of Clinical Pathology 07/2007; 60(6):622-6. · 2.31 Impact Factor
• Article: Overexpression of the cell adhesion molecules DDR1, Claudin 3, and Ep-CAM in metaplastic ovarian epithelium and ovarian cancer.

  Viola A Heinzelmann-Schwarz, Margaret Gardiner-Garden, Susan M Henshall, James Scurry, Richard A Scolyer, Michael J Davies, Matthias Heinzelmann, Larry H Kalish, Anish Bali, James G Kench, Lyndal S Edwards, Patricia M Vanden Bergh, Neville F Hacker, Robert L Sutherland, Philippa M O'Brien
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  ABSTRACT: A better understanding of the molecular pathways underlying the development of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is critical to identify ovarian tumor markers for use in diagnostic or therapeutic applications. The aims of this study were to integrate the results from 14 transcript profiling studies of EOC to identify novel biomarkers and to examine their expression in early and late stages of the disease. A database incorporating genes identified as being highly up-regulated in each study was constructed. Candidate tumor markers were selected from genes that overlapped between studies and by evidence of surface membrane or secreted expression. The expression patterns of three integral membrane proteins, discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1), claudin 3 (CLDN3), and epithelial cell adhesion molecule, all of which are involved in cell adhesion, were evaluated in a cohort of 158 primary EOC using immunohistochemistry. We confirmed that these genes are highly overexpressed in all histological subtypes of EOC compared with normal ovarian surface epithelium, identifying DDR1 and CLDN3 as new biomarkers of EOC. Furthermore, we determined that these genes are also expressed in ovarian epithelial inclusion cysts, a site of metaplastic changes within the normal ovary, in borderline tumors and in low-grade and stage cancer. A trend toward an association between low CLDN3 expression and poor patient outcome was also observed. These results suggest that up-regulation of DDR1, CLDN3, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule are early events in the development of EOC and have potential application in the early detection of disease.
  Clinical Cancer Research 08/2004; 10(13):4427-36. · 7.74 Impact Factor